💔 About the Song
Released in 1980, Romeo and Juliet is one of Mark Knopfler’s finest moments — tender, cinematic, and painfully self-aware. It tells the story of two lovers torn apart not by feuding families, but by fame, ambition, and timing — the modern tragedies.
Juliet’s chasing success, Romeo’s still in love, and Knopfler’s guitar narrates it all with the kind of emotion you can’t fake.
He reportedly wrote it after his breakup with Holly Vincent (of Holly and the Italians). She found success first, he found heartbreak — and the result was this bittersweet masterpiece.
It’s packed with poetic lines — “You and me, babe, how about it?” — delivered with that world-weary ache that’s half confession, half resignation.
And yes, it’s the song that made countless people say, “Wait, Dire Straits can be romantic?”
🎸 Ukulele Playing Tips
- Chords:C – F – G – Am – Dm – G7.
- Verse: C – F – G – C,
- Chorus: Am – F – C – G – F – G – C.
- Strumming pattern: Slow, reflective Down–Down-Up–Up–Down-Up at ~78 bpm.
Finger-picking sounds divine if you’ve got the patience. - Tone: Keep it warm and clear. Use the fleshy part of your thumb for downstrokes — Knopfler never used a pick, so neither should you.
- Dynamics: Whisper the verses, grow slightly through the chorus, then pull back again — like waves hitting the shore.
- Optional flourish: End each line with a soft harmonic (12th fret, A string) to mimic that glistening steel-guitar sound.
- Pro tip: On “Juliet, when we made love…” pause before strumming — the silence says as much as the chord.
🧠 Trivia You Can Drop Casually
- The Making Movies album was produced by Jimmy Iovine, hot off working with Springsteen — you can hear the same cinematic storytelling vibe.
- The intro was played on a National Style “O” resonator guitar, giving it that metallic sparkle.
- The lyric “You promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin” is said to quote directly from Knopfler’s real breakup letter. Ouch.
- It’s been covered by The Killers, Indigo Girls, Matt Nathanson, and everyone who’s ever been slightly drunk and heartbroken.
🌈 Final Word
Play Romeo and Juliet like a confession to an old love you’ll never quite get over.
Keep it tender, keep it honest, and don’t rush — every chord should feel like a sigh.
If your audience isn’t silently staring into the middle distance by the last “You and me, babe… how about it?” — start over; you’ve still got feelings left to ruin.
